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Isaiah and the Latter-Day Saints a Bibliographic Survey

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Isaiah and the Latter-Day Saints a Bibliographic Survey Isaiah and the Latter-day Saints A Bibliographic Survey John S. Thompson and Eric Smith This annotated bibliography introduces to general readers the many books and articles by modern LOS scholars about Isaiah, with emphasis on Isaiah in the Book of Mormon. One of the great challenges of both the Bible and the Book of Mormon is understanding the writings of Isaiah. The ar­ chaic idioms and symbolic language that Isaiah employs, the historical figures and events that provide the background to his writings, and the poetic forms that structure his words are formidable barriers that can discourage and bewilder the reader. To help overcome these barriers, many LDS au­ thors have come forward offering notes and commentary. Some of these authors have degrees in such fields as ancient Near Eastern studies, biblical studies, and history, and they use tools such as philology, historical criticism, and literary criticism to help the reader uncover the meaning of Isaiah's words. Others rely exclusively on a deep, abiding love for Isaiah's message, uncovering the meaning of his words through concentrated study of the English scriptures. How­ ever, all approach Isaiah's writings with a testimony of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ and the added insight that modern revelation provides. This bibliographic survey' s primary purpose is to inform readers about many of the LDS articles and books on Isaiah­ particularly on some of the more famous Isaiah passages (e.g., the mountain of the Lord's house [Isaiah 2:2-3], the Immanuel prophecy [Isaiah 7:10-16], the rod and stem of Jesse [Isaiah 11:1, 10], and the sealed book [Isaiah 29]-that are available for study. The survey will give the reference and a 446 • John S. Thompson and Eric Smith summary of the work, focusing on each author's interpreta­ tions of Isaiah and often noting similarities and differences be­ tween writers' interpretations, so that readers can be aware of the various schools of thought surrounding Isaiah's writings. Because so many LDS authors have written about Isaiah or have included references to his writings in their works, this survey is limited to published books or articles that deal extensively with Isaiah. The works included are arranged in a general chronological order from earliest to most recent so that the reader can see the influences that earlier writers may have had on later writers and discern the development of various schools of thought. An addendum at the end of this survey focuses on LDS writings about the suffering servant song in Isaiah 53. Pratt, Orson. "The Ancient Prophecies." Journal of Discourses (7 January 1855), 2:284. 1 Some of the earliest published works in the LDS corpus of literature that deal extensively with Isaiah address the famous "sealed book" prophecy in Isaiah 29. Orson Pratt, in a discourse given on 7 January 1855, is one of the first on record to com­ ment on Isaiah 29 and the role of the Book of Mormon in fulfill­ ing that prophecy.2 Though his discourse was intended to treat the subject of the fulfillment of ancient prophecies in general, Pratt chooses to narrow his topic to those prophecies dealing with the Book of Mormon, with the bulk of his message deal­ ing with Isaiah 29. Pratt discusses the careful phraseology given in this chapter, noting, for example, that Isaiah mentions that "the 'words of the book,' not the book itself, were sent to the learned" (p. 288). Pratt comments that if Martin Harris had taken the actual gold plates to Charles Anthon, then this prophecy would not have been fulfilled to the letter. Bibliographic Survey • 447 Given the literalness of Pratt's interpretation of Isaiah 29, it is clear that he feels the Book of Mormon is indeed the book mentioned in this chapter. There is no mention of the prophecy being allegorical for the people of Isaiah's day or for the state of apostasy in general, thus making the Book of Mormon only one of many ways to apply or "liken" the prophecy. Further, it is uncertain whether Pratt simply saw the correlation between the events surrounding the coming forth of the Book of Mormon and Isaiah 29 and thus inter­ preted the prophecy accordingly, or whether he was influ­ enced by Nephi's use of Isaiah 29 in 2 Nephi 27. In either case, Pratt certainly felt that Isaiah wrote directly concern­ ing the Book of Mormon and those events surrounding its coming forth. Smith, John Henry. "A Marvelous Work and a Won­ der." Millennial Star 45 (8 October 1883): 648-52. This editorial provides another early commentary on Isaiah 29. This commentary focuses on the Great Apostasy (the "deep sleep" of Isaiah 29:10) and the restoration as a whole (the "marvelous work and a wonder" of Isaiah 29:14) being the fulfillment of Isaiah's words. In the tradition of Orson Pratt, the role of the Book of Mormon in fulfilling this prophecy is also briefly mentioned; however, the bulk of Smith's work is a review of Church history, emphasizing that the enemies to the work of God constantly find that the "wis­ dom of their wise men shall perish" (Isaiah 29:14). Again it is assumed that Isaiah wrote pointedly concerning the Book of Mormon and the last days; there is no mention of Isaiah possibly giving this prophecy for his own day or for the con­ dition of apostasy in general. 448 • John S. Thompson and Eric Smith Roberts, B. H. "The Difficulty of Passages from Isaiah Being Quoted by Nephite Writers, that Modem Bible Criticism (Higher Criticism) Holds Were Not Written until the Time of the Babylonian Captivity-586-538 B.c., and Not Written by Isaiah at All." In New Witnesses for God. Vol. 3. Salt Lake City: Deseret News, 1909. Re­ printed as "An Objection to the Book of Mormon An­ swered." Improvement Era (July 1909): 681-9. ----. "Higher Criticism and the Book of Mor­ mon." Improvement Era (June 1911): 665-77; (July 1911): 774-86. Some of the other earlier works concerning Isaiah were prompted by the higher critics' claims that Isaiah did not author much of the Old Testament book attributed to him.3 In one chapter of his book New Witnesses for God, Vol. 3 and two years later in a published speech, B. H. Roberts sought to familiarize his audience with the higher critics' claims about Isaiah and to discuss the relationship between those claims and the authenticity of the Book of Mormon. If the critics are right and chapters 40-66 of Isaiah were written during or after the period of Babylonian captivity (begin­ ning ca. 587 B.c. ), then the Book of Mormon may be in error in attributing texts to Isaiah that were written not by him but by one or more authors living over twenty years after Lehi and his family left Jerusalem with the brass plates. In both his works, Roberts suggests many arguments to counter the higher critics' claims about Isaiah: • Isaiah 40 does not begin with a separate heading, and it is thematically connected with Isaiah 39. • According to Jewish historian Josephus, Cyrus King of Persia was influenced by Isaiah's prophecy that God would choose Cyrus to allow Israel to return to their own land and build the temple. Bibliographic Survey • 449 • Luke records that Christ read Isaiah 61:1-2 and claimed that he was its fulfillment without any mention of Isaiah 61 being authored by someone else. • Much of the difference in literary style between differ­ ent sections of Isaiah can be attributed to Isaiah's poeti­ cal genius, the grandeur of Isaiah's message, and the passage of time between Isaiah's early and late writings. • A testimony of the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon is itself proof that Isaiah was the sole author of the book attributed to him. Jenson, Nephi. "Isaiah 29." Improvement Era (April 1910): 512-5. Another treatise on Isaiah 29 comes from a small article written by Nephi Jenson in the Improvement Era. Like Orson Pratt and John H. Smith, Jenson argues that the Book of Mor­ mon is indeed the "book" to which Isaiah refers. He shows that the character of the book Isaiah describes matches the charac­ teristics of the Book of Mormon-Le., the Book of Mormon con­ tains a "vision" of a nation that is "brought down" and will "speak out of the ground," and it contains material about Christ's ministry, since the book Isaiah describes will make the "meek rejoice in the Holy One of Israel." Further, Jenson interprets the "marvelous work and a wonder" that shall make the "wisdom of their wise men [to] perish" as being fulfilled in the lives of young missionaries who take the message of the Book of Mormon and the re­ stored gospel into the world and "without difficulty" are able to II defend this restored gospel against the most skillful attacks of the most scholarly theologians" (p. 514). Isaiah's book is also described by Jenson as having an affect on people such that "the meek should increase their joy in the Lord." Jenson feels that the testimony and devotion 450 • John S. Thompson and Eric Smith of those saints who suffered for the gospel is answer enough to point to the Book of Mormon as the book spoken of in Isaiah 29. Talmage, James E. Conference Report (April 1929): 44-9. In April general conference 1929, James E. Talmage gave an address on the need for a testimony born of the Spirit rather than being influenced by technicalities such as geog­ raphy and higher criticism, which, if overstated, can cause some to be "led away into the jungle of error" (p.
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